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Llewellan ap Gruffudd
Lord Llewellan Gruffud is a feudal lord of Lordaeron and a Knight of the Silver Hand. The son of Arglwydd y Mynydd, Llewellan spent much of his life with his mountainous, insular people known as the Mynydd. A sickly child at birth, Llewellan was sheltered and by the time he was introduced to the other children, he already felt like a social pariah. On top of this, Llewellan has always had a girlish appearance was often the cause of mockery by his peers. Though Llewellan was not the son his father wanted features wise, Llewellan dedicated himself to martial training with his father. Though at first he was compared to fighting akin to a goose, he slowly began to become adept with the blade. By the time the Third War began, he squired for his father multiple times against the Orcs. When the Third War began, the community was evacuated into the Kingdom of Stromgarde. There when Llewellan's father knew his family was safe, he led his men-at-arms back into Lordaeron and joined the Scarlet Crusade. This left fourteen year old Llewellan alone amongst the gallants of the Mynydd, Stromgarde, and Lordaeron. He ended up pursuing Order of the Silver Hand training and became a full Knight of the Silver Hand by the age of twenty. Llewellan spent the next fours years fighting against the Undead Scourge and Horde alongside the Stromic remnants. He foughtly bravely and became known as 'the Intrepid' for showing supreme bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. At year three, his father and his men-at-arms perished -- his armor, weapons, and surcoat being sent back to Llewellan. Llewellan had his armor refitted and doned his father's armor and his greatsword, Golau Wawr Yn in the old tongue. Directly translated, it means Dawn's Light. Appearance Llewellan does not stand tall among his fellow Humans. In a crowd it might be difficult to pick him out as everyone else always seems to tower above him -- being five foot six inches does not help his case at all. ] A slender frame, a heart shaped face, high cheekbones, and a lack of facial hair causes him to commonly be mistaken for a flat-chested female. Despite his growing into adulthood, it is clear that he is very feminine in appearance. Not that he seems to mind too much -- he is always smiling! Blond hair comes flowing down over the nape of his neck, neatly tied with a leather string in order to keep it tidy. It smells of lilacs and lavendar, not helping his case if he doesn't want to be mistaken as a female. It's under the armor that counts, right? Well, this much is certain: he has seen the ugly face of war. While only a small scar on his right cheek moving down under his jaw is immediately showing on his face, he is very much scarred under his clothes. War has marked him in ways that it does many other warriors, but two scars stand out: - A burn scar on the upper-right part of his chest - A long, wicked scar that starts near his navel and seems to trail off into his pants. Only the few are able to see if it has affected his manparts below the belt. Items and Companions Golau Wawr Yn; Light's Dawn A family heirloom, Golau Wawr Yn has been in the House of Dyfed for four generations. Meticulously crafted by the Dwarves for Llewellan's great-grandfather Carwyn ap Dewydd, it became the symbol of Dyfed and the knightly House of Dyfed. Inscribed above the guard are Old Common runes that translate the sword's name. When a Paladin wields the sword, the runes will glow when charged with the Light. Silver Hand Armor A suit of armor that has been his for as long as he's been a knight, this suit of brown and gold has been the staple of his arms and armor. The armor has been beaten, scarred, reforged several times but it still holds its strength despite its old age. Armor of the Arglwydd thumb|left Though Llewellan does not wear it often, the armor of the Arglwydd has been passed down from Arglwydd to Arglwydd since the formation of the title under Caerwyn ap Wynfor. Typically wearing it for formal ceremonies and functions, the armor has been retrofitted to him as the previous Arglwydd, Llewellan's father Gruffudd, was a much bigger man. Libram of the Intrepid A libram written by Llewellan's precessor, Sir Glendwr the Intrepid. Blessed several times over by chaplains and priests, the Libram is a commentary on the Light, institutions, and many secular topics. It also provides a manual for many techniques of combining both the training of a priest and a paladin. Lastly, the libram is solely written in old common. The book itself is leatherbound with the faded sigil of Lordaeron on the cover and the writing "LIBRAM OF THE INTREPID" on the cover. It include twenty-one chapter and a preface. Dewr thumb|left A warhorse of Mynydd stock, Dewr (Intrepid) was named after Llewellan's mentor, Sir Glyndwr the Intrepid. The pale mare has long been with Llewellan, surviving many battles and injuries. The horse is steadfastly loyal to Llewellan, becoming a companion that is very close to Llewellan's heart. During the War against the Cult of the Flaming March, Dewr was killed in action. Jeandra thumb|left A brown bear cub from Ashenvale, Sila found the cub pawing at her dead mother. Taking in the bear and feeding it for a while, Sila left the care of the cub to Llewellan, who immediately began to act like its mother and cares for it deeply. Knowing it is a wild animal and will grow into a big bear, both Sila and Llewellan are ready to reintroduce her to the wilds eventually. Difraw thumb|left A standard rhaidd (moose). Given to him after the death of Dewr, Llewellan named the tradtional, sacred animal of the Bleiddiaid 'Difraw' for 'Fearless'. Difraw has served through two campaigns with Llewellan, in which the rider and the mount have already grown close. =History= ---- Childhood Llewellan was born in the holdfast of Dyfed to Lord Gruffudd ap Owain, the Arglwydd y Mynydd, and Bronwyn mab Gwaram. A sickly child from the start, Llewellan was largely kept sheltered by his mother until the beginnings of his childhood, even after he had been cleared by the Prior. However, this meant that was able to starting schooling by his mother -- an educated woman -- early on compared to his peers. When Bronwyn finally allowed her son to be introduced to the other children of the holdfast, he was still largely ostracized by his peers. Children often made fun of his girlish appearance and sometimes girlish mannerisms. However, Llewellan excelled in his education nonetheless after meeting Sir Glyndwr at the local priory, who taught him about tenacity. At ten, Lord Gruffudd began Llewellan's martial training. Starting with the longsword and fencing, it was clear that Llewellan would be slow to take on the sword. Despite this, Llewellan worked hard in order to prove to his father that he was the son the Lord Gruffudd wanted. He continued his schooling with Sir Glyndwr, but became entranced by the old prior's war-stories of the first and second war. Over time, Lord Gruffudd and his son became close because of their constant training. As it was expected that many of the child would eventually be called to war, Llewellan began to train with the other kids. Due to his father training him early, he excelled over his peers; this did not make him arrogant, however, as he sought to teach his peers to improve. When the Third War began, Lord Gruffudd had the presence of mind to evacuate the Vale of Mynydd to Stromgarde. He assigned Syr Drystan ap Bronwyn, his nephew, to hold back the Scourge at the Giat Creigiog for as long as possible while the Vale was evacuated. Once his nephew returned to them, Lord Gruffudd raised his Cadwiaid and one hundred men-at-arms to join the Scarlet Crusade. He left a fourteen year old Llewellan behind with Sir Glyndwr as his mentor. Drystan and Colwyn were assigned to protect him when not attending to their Bleiddiad duties. With Llewellan under Glyndwr guiding practices, he formally entered into the Silver Hand. The Order of the Sable Dragon Sir Glwyndwr was a man of old blood -- he had a strong sense duty to the Mynydd, his kingdom, and the Light. He had been brought up by the Hen Duwiaid and was the founding member of the Order of the Sable Dragon. He and his War-Clerics served faithfully. The Order was small in number, but took on Llewellan, Eirianwen mab Rhain, among others. They were all trained both by members of the order and the Bleiddiaid, chiefly Colwyn ap Iorweth and Drystan who were among the best fighters of the Mynydd despite their age. Llewellan became Sir Glyndwr's personal squire and it is from him that he learned so much -- he learned that there could be a duality to faith, that the Light would come to those who were faithful to it and the Hen Duwiaid. He was taught never to abandon his people, that he was to be their strength in times of trouble and their hope in times of hopelessness. He was, one day, to become the Arglwydd and Sir Glyndwr did everything he could to prepare for that. Upon Llewellan's eighteenth birthday, he was knighted. Adulthood Golem Slayer -- Rise of the Intrepid The Golem was a Forsaken Death Knight who constantly harrassed the Mynydd with a force of dreadguard, consistently raiding Stromic villages and being a force to be reckoned with on the field of battle. Knowing this, Sir Glyndwr called upon the Stromic lords to give him contingents of cavalry to bolster the Bleiddiaid's own; numbering in a force of close to one hundred riders. Eight Knights ofthe Silver Hand, all of them Mynydd, accompanied Sir Glyndwr. Challenging the Golem in an open field, the results were pyrrhic; More than four Mynydd Knight's of the Silver Hand were killed and two more were severely wounded. Among the dead was Sir Glyndwr. As Sir Glyndwr died, the lines of the living began to break and rout, but it was Sir Llewellan, the newly anointed knight, who stepped up against the Golem and dueled him. After receiving a mortal blow to his lower-midsection, Llewellan struck out and killed the Golem, causing the Stromic and Mynydd forces regroup and destroy the remaining Dreadguard. Llewellan was quickly taken off the field and brought to a clinic. Not many know what happened that night -- legend among the smallfolk say that he died and was reborn. When he exited the clinic a few days later, he was determined, focused, and harder than ever before. Recovery and Gains With the Golem defeated and his forces scattered, Llewellan began to lead the Bleiddiaid on raids into Forsaken territory. These raids, supported by the southern Stromic houses, went deep into Forsaken territory. They were incredibly bold and risky, but Llewellan knew that he had to prove himself after the Battle of Glyndwr's Stand. The Prime and Seventh Wing of the Bleiddiaid were largely chosen by Llewellan to conduct these raids, which were led by Llewellan's cousin, Drystan, and childhood friends of Eirianwen and Colwyn. Among these number was a small, young woman named Fychan who would prove that her fists were just as good as any weapon. They openly challenged any Forsaken that dared cross their path, taking on dreadguard forces double and triple the size of their forces. Each time they charged, Llewellan's legend grew until he earned his mentor's epithet -- the Intrepid. War-Prior of Dyfed and Elevation to Tanist Upon returning from his raids, Llewellan was battle-hardened. What was left of the Order of the Sable Dragon elected him War-Prior of Dyfed and officially elevated him to the same rank as the Cadylwydd. He began working with the marshal on a campaign to strike at the Forsaken in an offensive, gaining the support of the Stromic houses as well. Upon hearing of his son's successes, Lord Gruffudd returned as he did every year with the fallen Mynydd from the Crusade. He honored the death of Sir Glyndwr, his longtime friend, and then officially proclaimed Llewellan the Tanist. This was well received by the Mynydd smallfolk and several days of feasting and celebration commenced after Heddwyn performed the official ceremony. Lord Gruffudd returned to the north and the Crusade, but not before naming Llewellan operational commander of the Mynydd, officially putting him as a higher rank than the Cadylwydd. Stromic-Mynydd Offensive As Llewellan was given the operational command of the Mynydd, he immediately began to put his plan into action. Gathering his forces and the forces of the Stromic-Mynydd Coalition, he launched his campaign by coaxing out the garrison of Tewksberry and then smashing them in the field in a pincer move. Upon the taking of Tewksberry, the Forsaken mobilized their forces under Igor Jojanovic. Igor moved quickly to try to stifle this Stromic-Mynydd advance, but in the Black Swamps he fell into an ambush. He quickly retreated to Hammerfell, gathering a larger force of Horde members. In the meantime, Llewellan managed to capture a Forsaken fortified position that was named 'Fort Bannotburh'. When Igor returned to Bannotburh with a force that outnumbers the Coalition forces, he fully expected an easy victory and a siege, not the Coalition forces to sally out to meet them in the field. The battle that ensued was Llewellan's crowning military achievement; with the tactical advantage of the hill, the setting sun at their backs, and with morale high, he smashed into the Forsaken war machine. He feigned a retreat of his center, causing Igor to over extend his lines and was quickly enveloped by the combined moose-horse cavalry of the Bleiddiaid and Stromic forces. Igor himself challenged Llewellan to a duel and Llewellan killed the Forsaken commander in three moves. Gains and Losses The Stromic-Mynydd Offensive was highly successful in breaking the Forsaken power over southern Stromgarde and largely reignited the war effort in the eye of the Mynydd: as many as 30% of the young people who came of age immediately signed up for the Meibion Daranu and the best among them were chosen to become initiates of the Bleiddiaid y Dyffryn. New confidence was gained in their Tanist, regrowing loyalty in the House of Dyfed and ignoring the fact that Llewellan looked like a woman. One day, however, Llewellan and the Prime Wing led by Syr Drystan ap Bronwyn was ambushed by a force of Dreadguard three times larger than the Wing. The Wing fought bravely, but the narrow pass in which they were ambushed gave them a disadvantage. The ambush was beaten back, but not before Drystan ap Bronwyn, the Dragon of the Vale, was slain while fighting off five Dreadguard. Llewellan attempted to heal Drystan of his mortal wounds, but was unable -- Drystan died in his arms. The House of Dyfed lost its greatest swordsman and Llewellan lost his best friend and cousin. Depression After the death of Drystan, Llewellan fell into a deep depression. As Drystan was Llewellan's closest friend and ally and most certainly the greatest sword that his House had to ever in its history, Llewellan couldn't help but fell a sense of great loss. Drystan was a famed hero, the leader of the Asgell Dysefin in the Bleiddiaid and had countless more battles under his belt than Llewellan. For a time, Llewellan lost all hope. As the Bleiddiaid fought on, the Cadylwydd, Llewellan's second-in-command, assigned Colwyn ap Iorweth to guard Llewellan's life -- both against foreign entities and himself. The emotionally damaged warrior began to speak to Llewellan at length on loss as he had also experienced great loss in his life and was in darkness himself. Recovery It took time, but Colwyn -- along with Syr Eirianwen mab Rhain -- managed to bring their friend and liege back from the brink. All three knew Drystan intimately -- no one more so than Eirianwen -- but the three friends all experienced the loss together and that was ultimately what got Llewellan through. A new Arglwydd rises After the successes of the Fall Offensive, the war began to die down, especially considering that the Horde began their civil war. The weakened front allowed the Mynydd to continue their habitual border raids on their newly acquired territory. Though all the garrisons were made from their Stromic counterparts, the Mynydd frequently stayed at the garrisons while going to and from their raids. A few months into the new year, the remnants of the men-at-arms of Llewellan's father, Sir Gruffudd ap Owain, returned bearing the dead as they did every year. However, this time they did not make another journey back north for apart of these funeral procession was Llewellan's father himself. Llewellan called upon the most important members and elders of the Mynydd to immediately prepare a public funeral, to which all the Mynydd -- both domestic in Stromgarde and all those scattered across the world -- attended. Percentage-wise, it was the largest funeral attendance of Mynydd to date. Just as the funeral ended, those important figures who represented immediately swore fealty and declared Llewellan the Arglwydd. Normally there is an official ceremony, but the Elders declared that the Light and the Hen Duwiaid have chosen Llewellan as the Arglwydd and that no ceremony was necessary, given the circumstances of the war and succession. Second Spring Campaign After the Horde Civil War and the breaking of the truce, the Forsaken began a renewed campaign, attacking all points in Stromgarde that still held out against them. Knowing the strengths of southern Stromgarde, Radoslav the Breaker and his famed Hand of Rage were assigned to destroy the resistance of the Stromic-Mynydd Coalition just as he had broken the Kor'kron in the Barrens and certain Alliance groups in Pandaria. Arriving with a massive force, the Coalition sought to challenge him in an open field at the Second Battle of Lullen. Confident just as they had been in previous campaigns, Radoslav personally broke through the lines and slew Lord Gerold Derry and all his sons. This caused a massive rout, leaving Lullen and several forts behind in favor of more defensible castles. The Battle of Reinwood Forest would see the strength of the Mynydd weakened significantly. However, the battle was both tactical and strategic failure on both sides as it caused Radoslav to reconsider how he distributed his forces from that point out. He favored a long, low-intensity campaign to cause attritional casualties and eventually a victory. Llewellan assessed the situation and ordered all Mynydd forces to begin a defensive campaign as their operational strength was largely diminished. The Cadylwydd reorganized the Bleiddiaid y Dyffryn, now consisting of solely cavalry and allowing the Meibion Daranu to be their ground forces from that point forward. After meeting with a council, the Cadylwydd was given operational authority in order to protect the Mynydd while Llewellan went out into the world to look for allies. Stormwind and New Beginnings Knowing that the Stromic-Mynydd Coalition could not hold forever, Llewellan rode south seeking alliances with the various houses and kingdoms in order to ensure the survival of his people. Officially joining the Remnants of Lordaeron under Bishop Niklos Adamant and allying with several Stormwindian and Dwarven houses. Knowing that the Forsaken war machine was a tide they could not turn just yet, Llewellan sought to evacuate his people from Stromgarde. Llewellan frequently meets with the Cadylwydd in order to determine the best course of action while still maintaining the lines -- however, after calling a meeting with the surviving Stromic houses in the Coalition, Llewellan officially decided to move his people to seek refuge in Loch Modan -- far away from the war. In the meantime, Llewellan has sought comfort where once he never did. Meeting Sila Sora'bel, an Elven Druid and allowing him to take Llewellan for the first time, they have fallen deeply in love and currently maintain an open relationship. The Remnants of Lordaeron Llewellan immediately set himself to prove the worth of the Mynydd and his swordsmanship to the fledgling organization. Riding out from Tyr's Hand on numerous occasions in order to face certain peril, Llewellan fought long and hard along knights such as Sir Adeim, Sir Bradian MacKay, among others. He gained new friends and eventually refounded the Cadwiaid, to which Colwyn ap Iorweth and Fychan mab Derec are apart of. The Forsaken campaign against the failing Stromic-Mynydd Coalition greatly concerns Llewellan and knowing that his men-at-arms are slowly dwindling, he set forth a plan of action in order to retreat his people further south and begin to forge alliances with the Dwarven Clans in earnest. After gaining permission from the Council of Three Hammers, he was given permission to settle his people in a former Ogre settlement to create a refuge fortress for the Dwarves to eventually occupy once Lordaeron is retaken. In the meantime while Llewellan and the Cadylwydd prepares for their eventual departure, Llewellan has taken on more duties within the Silver Hand. He's taken on Morgan Combe as his squire, to which the poor girl has had to learn two hard lessons: to kill and self-sacrifice. The March of the Mynydd Knowing that the Forsaken grow more powerful and bold by the day, Llewellan created an evacuation plan for moving all the Mynydd from Stromgarde to Loch Modan. Known as the Long March, Llewellan called upon the Remnant of Lordaeron in order to aid his people in their plight. Using the Remnant as a vanguard, they scouted ahead of the Mynydd column while the Bleiddiaid y Dyffryn and Meibion Daranu protected the column itself. The Remnant faced down many demons and undead and ultimately succeeded to beat them back and clear the way for the Mynydd. However, Llewellan was not expecting an attack from rear. Hearing that their main adversaries were leaving the region, the Forsaken quickly moved their mounted dreadguard in from behind and charged the Mynydd column in order to kill as many as possible. Llewellan personally led the counter-charge, killing many Forsaken and forcing the column to run away. In the end, more than 12 Bleiddiaid and 17 Meibion died, along with 57 civilians. Llewellan himself was grievously wounded and was saved by Fychan mab Derec, personally dragging Llewellan to safety. The refuge was established and two weeks of mourning were held in order to remember those who had fallen. The Flames March On Not soon after the march was complete did the Cult of the Flaming March begin their invasion of the Plaguelands. Though they had taken and fortified Lerwick, they quickly sprung a surprise attack on Darrowshire, Caer Darrow, and Marris' Stead -- defeating all the forces in their way. They began their march on Crown Guard Tower, to which the Remnant of Lordaeron responded. Through a long and arduous battle, ultimately Crown Guard Tower was lost. Reeling in their defeat, Llewellan led the Remnants once more in order to ambush a Flaming March warband. With Sir Bradian wielding the Spear of Lodarus, the Remnants alongside Mynydd and Argent forces defeated the warband and one of the seemingly immortal Dark Riders. It seemed as if the Cult of the Flaming March was losing momentum, but it was their attempt at the bridges before Corrin's Crossing that mattered the most. The Cult threw everything they had at the Remnants -- including the Dark Rider Dagren the Immortal. However, even the Immortal one fell to the Remnants. They captured a incubus slave, but soon had it executed. Using the surge in morale, the Remnant and Argent forces moved quickly to Crown Guard Tower, recapturing it. However, they faced down Baldwin the Breaker and when they attempted to use the spear, they found that it had little effect on the Dark Rider master. He broke the spear and left soon after leaving his lieutenant, the former incubus slave 'Adriel' to finish them off. However, Adriel betrayed the Legion and swore that he would fight alongside the Remnants if they helped him free his people. Friends and Relationships Sila Sora'bel An Elven druid who Llewellan met early on when first arriving in Stormwind, their friendship was awkward at first through mistaken gender identities; both believed the other was female, despite both being male. Despite this, the two became friends and even lovers. Llewellan and Sila frequently stayed together in either Sila's apartment or eventually Llewellan's home. Over time, love grew in the relationship as Sila educated Llewellan on his culture and Llewellan educated Sila on the Mynydd. They began their fledgling relationship soon after Llewellan and Laurice had a brief falling out, Sila comforting Llewellan during many hardships and trials. After a time, Llewellan asked Sila to help heal Lordaeron and become a Plagueshifter. The two maintain an open relationship (as is normally customary in beginning Mynydd relationships), but the two are often absorbed into their work. However, the bonds of love and friendship are strong with the pair. Colwyn ap Iorweth If an archetype of the skilled drunk warrior ever existed, it would be Colwyn. Four years Llewellan's elder, the two men were friends in their childhood and the Gwent warrior personally trained Llewellan in fencing both one-on-one and one-on-many. Part of the Bleiddiaid, Colwyn is one of Llewellan's most skilled retainers and keeps him as a bodyguard in his personal retinue. Colwyn and Llewellan have a personal relationship that is close to siblings; Colwyn has frequently acted like the older sibling to Llewellan, helping him with the feelings and bringing him back from the brink on more than one occasion. Eirianwen mab Rhain ] The Hard Bitch of the Vale, as she's called sometimes, Eirianwen (affectionately called 'Eir') is a childhood friend of Llewellan's and was part of the same friendship group as Colwyn, Drystan, and Llewellan. Both Dyfed natives, she frequently fought bullies with Drystan. Soon enough, Eir and Llewellan became close. The two soon joined the Order of the Sable Dragon, once they were old enough and frequently trained together. Now, Lord Llewellan looks upon his friend as his closest adviser. Fychan mab Derec A rough lesbian brawler, Fychan is the newest addition to Llewellan's personal retinue. A strong woman who punches things in order to see them dead, Fychan is a welcome addition from the Bleiddiaid; she is often seen conversing with her contemporary and friend Colwyn, but Llewellan goes out of his way to ensure that Fychan is just as comfortable with him. After Fychan confided in Llewellan she had trouble with flirting with women, Llewellan began to search for potential partners in Fychan's name. Soon after meeting Kelmia Russo, Llewellan set up a date between that seemed to go well. Fychan remains a trusted bodyguard and becoming a fast friend for Llewellan to confide in. Highlord Zaria R. Blackmoore A most recent friend, Zaria and Llewellan have had two encounters from which they are slowly beginning to get to know each other and their people, respectively. Llewellan has vowed to aid in returning Alterac to its kingdom status and hopes that Zaria will return Llewellan's vow to retake the Vale of Mynydd and grow close him as a friend. More friendships to come! Retainers * Sir Alladran the Blackwolf * Altaiea * Colwyn ap Iorweth * Fychan mab Derec * Syr Eirianwen mab Rhain * Syr Angèlique mab Reginald * Sir Anton Vukanovic * Syr Llywelyn ap Bronwyn * Sir Renaird Dawnbreaker * Lily 'Jack' Dawnbreaker * Hywen ap Rhys Positions Held Trivia * Llewellan is a play on typical Welsh names. Llewella is the feminine version of Llywelyn; adding an 'n' onto Llewella makes it a slight lean towards the masculine version of the name while keeping most of his feminine form. This is to note that Llewellan looks much like a female despite the fact that he's male. * Llewellan is OG Welsh Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Lordaeron Human Category:Paladins Category:Order of the Silver Hand Category:Mynydd Category:Knights Category:Lordaeron Peerage Category:Lordaeron Silver Hand Category:Remnant of Lordaeron Category:Kingdom of Lordaeron